Transcript 2012 Student Success Conference

Student Success Conference
October 3, 2012
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Embracing and Leading Change
Preparing Students for Success in Transfer-level
Composition: Faculty Beliefs and Student Experiences
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Data
• Institutional Data
- Program review and assessment
• Student Surveys
- Classroom based research
• Student Interviews
- Outside classroom research
• Grades
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Overview
• Ohlone College and English program
• Data and hypothesis
 Reading Requirement
• Data collection and analysis
• Conclusions
• Further Research
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Ohlone College Community
• SF Bay area (Fremont)-Silicon Valley
• ethnic groups in community:
Asian (35.3%) White (29.2%)
Hispanics (19.4%)
• residents age 25 or over:
26.5% BA; 16.7% grad./prof. degrees
• employed residents:
49.8% management or professionals
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Ohlone Students by Ethnicity
Fall 2006
Count
Percentage
African-American
538
5%
American Indian/
Alaskan Native
55
0%
4,106
35%
Filipino
846
7%
Hispanic
1,468
12%
Two or more races
197
2%
Pacific Islander
156
1%
Unknown
1,085
9%
White non-Hispanic
3,408
29%
11,859
100%
Asian
TOTAL
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Ohlone College Transfer Rates
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Ohlone College Transfer Students

Ohlone transfer students do as well as or
better than students who begin at a UC
or CSU

Ohlone CSU transfer students earn a
GPA that is higher than other transfer
students
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
English Sequence at Ohlone
Dev. 1
Dev. 2
Reading
English 162
Dev. Reading
(4 units)
English 163
College
Reading
(4 units)
Writing
English 151A
Fund. of
Comp.
(4 units)
English 151B
Fund. of
Comp.
(4 units)
Reading &
Writing
TransferLevel
English 101A
Reading and
Written
Comp.
(4 units)
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
How are students doing in English?
Course
Fall 2004
Success Rate
Spring 2005
Success Rate
English 162
(Dev. Reading 1)
67%
53%
English 163
(Dev. Reading 2)
79%
66%
English 151A
(Dev.Writing 1)
51%
46%
English 151B
(Dev. Writing 2)
63%
57%
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
How are students doing in English?
Course
Fall 2004
Success Rate
Spring 2005
Success Rate
English 101A
(Transfer-level Comp.)
55%
57%
English 101B
(2nd semester Transfer
Comp.)
71%
68%
English 101C
(2nd semester Transfer
Comp.)
70%
65%
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
English Faculty: Hypothesis
“Possible explanations for poor or falling
success rates, especially for 101A, may be
that students are not retaining information
and skills from course to course. From
151B to 101A there particularly seems to
be a gap in retention of information and
skills, and students seem to be arriving in
101A unprepared for college-level reading
and writing” – Program Review, 2006
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
English Faculty: Solution

-
Reading Requirement, Fall 2007
Placement test: clear reading
or place into developmental reading
163 prerequisite to English 101A
• Rationale
- Common sense—students need college-level
reading skills for a college transfer-level class
- Consistency—developmental writing
required; developmental reading required
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement:
Implementation
Placement Testing Data: Summer/Fall 2009
Total test records: 2530
Writing Course
N of Students
% of Students
ESL/English 151A
269
10.63%
English 151A
655
25.89%
English 151B
756
29.88%
English 101A
850
33.60%
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement:
Implementation
Placement Testing Data: Summer/Fall 2009
Total test records: 2741
Reading Course
N of Students
% of Students
ESL/English 162
287
10.47%
English 162
601
21.93%
English 163
678
24.74%
Reading Clear
1175
42.86%
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Results
Dev. Reading Enrollment Increased
ENGL-162 Fall Enrollment
2007FA
319
2005FA
164
2008FA
341
2010FA
454
2009FA
360
2006FA
202
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Results
Dev. Reading Enrollment Increased
ENGL-163 Fall Enrollment
2008FA
419
2009FA
430
2010FA
438
2007FA
337
2005FA
224
2006FA
203
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Results
101A Success Rates Improved
ENGL-101A Fall Success Rate
2005FA
56.6%
2006FA
56.3%
2007FA
57.1%
2008FA
65.5%
2009FA
69.2%
2010FA
67.1%
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Results
101A Success Rates Improved
ENGL-101A Spring Success
Rate
2007SP
57.5%
2006SP
48.2%
2009SP
64.3%
2010SP
69.1%
2011SP
64.8%
2008SP
55.9%
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Results
101A Retention Rates Improved
ENGL-101A Fall Retention Rate
2005FA
74.6%
2006FA
73.7%
2007FA
72.9%
2008FA
82.4%
2009FA
83.3%
2010FA
81.4%
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Results
101A Retention Rates Improved
ENGL-101A Spring Retention Rate
2007SP
73.8%
2008SP
73.6%
2009SP
76.9%
2010S,
81.5%
2011SP
75.3%
2006SP
61.1%
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Results
Developmental Writing Success Improved
ENGL-151A Fall Success Rate
2007FA
61.3%
2005FA
45.2%
2006FA
49.2%
2009FA
65.9%
2008FA
56.0%
2010FA
63.4%
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Results
Developmental Writing Success Improved
ENGL-151B Fall Success Rate
2005FA
56.5%
2006FA
63.2%
2007FA
70.9%
2008FA
67.0%
2009FA
70.0%
2010FA
68.1%
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Results
Concurrent Enrollment Improves Success
Comparison of Success Rates for Students
Concurrently Enrolling in Writing and
Reading Courses - ENGL-151A and ENGL162
68.2%
65.6%
60.4%
68.3%
64.3%
65.5%
62.4%
59.6%
51.9%
47.9%
49.7%
66.4%
61.0%
59.8%
58.0%
47.4%
68.5%
47.3%
55.5%
54.1%
49.5%
48.5%
49.0%
39.9%
Students Concurrently Enrolled in Both a Writing Course (ENGL-151A) and
a Reading Course (ENGL-162)
Students Enrolled Only in a Writing Course (ENGL-151A)
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Results
Concurrent Enrollment Improves Success
Comparison of Success Rates for Students
Concurrently Enrolling in Writing and
Reading Courses - ENGL-151B and ENGL163
73.8% 74.5% 72.6%
53.3% 53.9%
78.5%
66.3%
70.3%
73.7%
78.8%
71.3%
67.8%
67.4%
66.0%
67.3% 65.1% 65.1% 66.9% 67.6%
64.1%
60.4% 63.0%59.0%
57.3%
Students Concurrently Enrolled in Both a Writing Course (ENGL151B) and a Reading Course (ENGL-163)
Students Enrolled Only in a Writing Course (ENGL-151B)
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Conclusions
• Reading requirement helps students
succeed at higher rates in English 101A.
• Reading requirement helps students at
the lowest level of developmental writing
succeed in their classes.
• Students in developmental writing classes
benefit from enrolling concurrently in a
developmental reading class at the same
level.
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
More data
Kuehner’s sections (May 2011)
162 to 101A Success Rate: 60%
163 to 101A Success Rate: 82%
Date: Class
# Pass
162/163
#Pass 101A
Success
Rate
F2007: 162
27
15
55.6%
F2007: 163
23
20
87%
Sp2008: 163
21
16
76.2%
F2008: 162
21
10
47.6%
F2008: 162
22
17
77.3%
Sp2009: 163
28
23
82.1%
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
More data
Basic Skills Cohort Tracker (Spring 2011)
162 to 101A Success Rate: 58.8%
163 to 101A Success Rate: 67.5%
Date: Class
# Pass 162
#Pass 101A
Success
Rate
F2007: 162
216
132
61%
F2007: 163
200
165
82.5%
Sp2008: 163
104
85
56.6%
F2008: 162
238
129
54%
Sp2009: 163
109
159
63.3%
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
More data
Fall 2008: Kuehner grades in 162
Class Section
Passing Grades
Failing Grades
English 162-09
A=8
D=1
B=7
F=3
C=6
88% success
Total = 21
Total = 4
English 162-10
A=4
D=5
B=5
F=6
C=4
54% success
Total = 13
Total = 11
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Surveys
ESL students in English 101A (N=28)
Question: Did you find the reading in 101A
difficult?
Student Answers:
No (N=15)
Yes (N=7)
Ambiguous (N=4)
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Surveys
Question: Did you find the reading in 101A
difficult?
Student Answers:
- “Reading in 101A is not that difficult”
- “I think the reading in 101A is easier than
writing”
- “English 101A focus on writing more than
reading”
- “I found that the reading in 101A was difficult
for me”
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Surveys
Question:
Did the reading classes you have taken prepare
you for the reading material in 101A?
Student Answers:
Yes (N = 9)
No (N = 4)
Ambiguous (N = 6)
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Surveys
Question: Did the reading classes you have taken
prepare you for the reading material in 101A?
Student Answers:
- “since I took 162 and 163 before and I am ok with
reading selection.”
- “The class I have taken had improved my reading
skill a great deal, but I found that the reading
material in 101A is much harder than pervious
classes.”
- “Compare to the articles that I read in the ENGL
163, the articles in ENGL 101A are longer and
harder. The ENGL 163 did not prepare me a lot for
the reading material in 101A.”
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Interviews
Why are some students successful in English
101A and what do they do to help themselves
succeed?
 What challenges do basic skills students
encounter when they enter English 101A and
how do they successfully meet those
challenges?

A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Interviews
• Interviewed four basic skills students taking
English 101A
- not a random sample
- interviews not standardized
- two native speakers; two non-native
- two males, two females
- one learning disabled
- one “older”
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Experiences
• Chen, second-language learner
- struggling in 101A
- problems with constructing clear sentences
- not enough guidance on papers
- “We don’t do anything in class—just discuss the
readings.”
- homework, but no feedback on writing before a
paper is due
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Experiences
• Chen’s advice
- get more feedback on writing
- do more writing, less discussing, in class
- “go step by step, give examples, and break it
down for students”
- handouts, especially with examples of sentences
and sample essays, guidance, and feedback
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Experiences
• Hanh, “older” second-language learner
- enjoyed reading and writing assignments in
English 101A
- teacher has high expectations for class
- teacher doesn’t help students with writing
during class; mostly discuss the readings
- able to apply skills from 163 in 101A
- husband helps her proofread her papers
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Experiences
• Hanh: Lessons and advice
- students benefit from having support at home
- students can apply strategies learned in
previous classes
- Hanh’s advice: students should receive more
writing instruction in class
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Experiences
• Kristin, native-speaker, high school grad.
- lots of articles and readings, not sure how they
all connected
- didn’t always know what was being talked about
in the articles
- in-class essays count more than out of class
papers
- lots of work in 101A
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Experiences
• Kristin’s advice
- work in previous class helped: summaries, cite,
quote, rules about plagiarism
- previous classes should include more writing
- should be rules for how long papers should be
- students should write down words they don’t
know
- students should also be required to read a book
on their own and do a class presentation
- teachers should also not accept late homework
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Experiences
• Mark, learning disabled student
- struggled in 101A: first writing “D-”
- readings are long and complicated; lots of “big
words” and doesn’t always get main point
- teacher lectures nonstop
- lots of handouts
- confusing when teacher disagrees with the book
- does not like seeing model essays or peer
editing
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Experiences
• Mark: Lessons and advice
- help from DSPS tutors
- help from former English prof.
- visited English prof. during office hours
- persisted; studied 6-7 hours/day
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Experiences: Success
Four students were successful
- passed English 101A in one semester
- Hanh “A”, Mark & Kristin “B”
- Hanh, Mark, & Kristin successfully completed
English 101B next semester
- Fall 2011, Chen transferred to UC Berkeley
- Mark has selected a major and completed his
application to transfer to a CSU.
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Conclusions
• Focus on writing in transfer-level composition
- write sentences
- look at model sentences, paragraphs, essays
• Students benefit from support
- family, tutors, instructors to help with writing
- friends & friendly teachers in class
• Persist despite challenges
- Stick with class, do all the work, get help
• Benefit from direct, explicit instruction
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Data Summary
• Institutional data (success, retention rates)
• Individual section data (success rates)
• Student surveys
• Student interviews
• Student grades
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Research
• Is developmental reading effective?
YES = Developmental reading course
seems to improve student success as
measured by persistence (Pinkerton 2010)
YES = Taking and passing a developmental
reading class helps student success as
measured by GPA (Cox, Friesner, & Khayum
2003)
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Research
• Is developmental reading effective?
NO: Remedial reading class does not help
students succeed in transfer-level
composition (Calcagno & Long 2008)
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Reading Requirement: Research
• Is developmental reading effective?
NO & YES: Remedial reading lowers the
probability of obtaining a degree for four-year
students but raises the probability for
community college students (Attewell, Lavin,
Domina, & Levey 2006)
NOT CLEAR: Students who took a
developmental reading course did as well as
students who did not in the “gatekeeper”
English course (Jenkins, Jaggars, & Roksa 2009)
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Further Research
• Number of students in 101A:
prerequisite vs. placed
• Success of students in 101A:
prerequisite vs. placed
• Success of developmental students in
101A before/after reading requirement
• More student success interviews
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Faculty Beliefs
 Faculty beliefs may change programs and
courses
• Reading requirement
 Faculty beliefs influence data collection
and analysis
• Reading requirement improves student
success in transfer-level class
• Developmental classes help students
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Student Experiences
 Student experiences may not be fully
reflected in the data
• Students struggle in transfer-level
composition
 Student experiences may change the way
faculty teach and curriculum
• Students benefit from direct instruction
 Student experiences may extend beyond
the classroom
• Students benefit from support
• Students benefit from persistence
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
What questions do you have about
your students?
-
-
Success of students?
Progress of students?
Challenges of students?
Learning of students?
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
What data would help you answer
those questions?
-
-
-
Institutional data
http://datamart.cccco.edu
Cohort tracking data
http://datamart.cccco.edu/Outcomes/Basi
cSkills_Cohort_Tracker.aspx
Student surveys
Students interviews
Grades
Other . . .
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
What are the advantages of using
certain data?
• Institutional Data:
- Understand which groups of students
succeed or fail
- Track changes to programs
- Compare your classes to larger cohort
• Interviews, surveys, or grades
- Understand why students succeed or fail
- Understand students’ experiences
- Understand your own classes
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
What are the disadvantages of using
certain data?
• Institutional Data
- May mask interesting effects
- Difficult to assign cause-effect
• Interviews or surveys
- Subjective or biased
- Time consuming
- Small sample size
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College
Any Questions or Comments?
[email protected]
A. Kuehner, Ohlone College